Is Transformers Actually Coming to Universal Orlando?!

I've been talking on and on about the possibility of the Transformers ride coming to USF for the past few years (ever since I first heard of the USH/USS rides, and that misinformed Screamscape report a few years back). Looks like after years of talking about it... it may actually happen:

Here’s a Universal theme park-related quote from Steven Spielberg, who chatted with Sentinel movie critic Roger Moore over the weekend.

“I always like to hear that people are still coming to the attractions we already have in the park. I know everybody’s going to Harry Potter right now. But we think Transformers is going to pretty amazing. We’ve been working on that for about three years now. It should be ready soon. I don’t have an announcement, yet, but it should be coming there soon,” Spielberg said.

Transformers attractions are currently under construction at Universal parks in Singapore and Hollywood. Universal Orlando officials said Monday that they had no announcement to make about one being constructed here.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2011/09/spielberg-transformers-announcement-should-be-soon.html

Are the “Robots in Disguise” on the way to Universal Orlando? Steven Spielberg is saying so.

Plans are on the way to bring the Transformers attraction, currently slated to open in Universal’s California and Singapore parks next year, to Universal Orlando. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the director told film critic Roger Moore that an announcement is coming soon.

“We’ve been working on that for about three years now. It should be ready soon. I don’t have an announcement, yet, but it should be coming there soon”. Spielberg said.

Fans of the franchise, and the Universal Orlando theme parks, have been clamoring for an Orlando edition since the ride was announced for Orlando’s sister parks back in 2008.

Stay tuned to Orlando United as we will surely cover any announcement made for the rumored attraction.

http://orlandounited.com/2011/09/19/transformers-coming-to-universal-orlando/

I've been thinking and hoping this will come for years. I mean sure, I'm not the biggest Transformer fan, but IMO it has the potential to be a pretty sweet ride! But now the question is... where to put it?

I think a perfect place for it would be Disaster. The name for this attraction is pretty self-explanatory (ahem... a complete DISASTER). Disaster is basically a cheap and stupid version of Earthquake (which, dare I say it, was WAY better). Transformers would fit nice there. I'd say T2:3D, but I'm leaning towards Avatar for that space.

However... will it use the same ride system as Spidey though? I mean, it's possible, but new rumors point to an entirely new ride system, supposedly better than even Harry Potter & the Forbidden Journey! That would be a cool move IMO, but I wonder how it will be though? Oh well, that's the nice part of speculation! =D

I'll keep you updated on any further developments!

UPDATE 9/24/11:

From Screamscape:

???? - Transformers - Rumor - (9/21/11) Screamscape sources tell us that Spielberg apparently misspoke and that there are currently no plans to bring the Transformers attraction to Universal Orlando at this point in time.

Personally, I doubt this. I have respect for Screamscape, but they're not ALWAYS right. I doubt Spielberg would misspeak about Transformers. Maybe it is just Universal trying to shoot these rumors down.

For example, Six Flags Great America last summer shot the rumors down of Iron Wolf closing and moving to SFA, and now look what we have (Apocalypse). Maybe this Transformers ride is very top secret, and Universal is trying to shoot down the rumors until an official announcement.

I doubt the "Transformers coming to Orlando" rumor is dead. But we'll see... and as before, I'll keep you updated!